Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to pillow covers and, more particularly, to pillow shams.
2. Description of Prior Art
Pillow shams have long been used to cover and provide a decorative appearance to pillows and to the beds upon which they are displayed. The pillow shams are removed to make the pillows and bed available during a sleep cycle.
The conventional pillow sham in widespread use today has one of several general shapes such as rectangular, square, etc. The sham is formed from textile sheet material having opposed front and rear panels defined by seam edges, with the rear panel being provided with a transverse opening for insertion and removal of a pillow. Similar forms are shown in Canadian Patent No. 542,873, Pillow Case, issued Jul. 2, 1957, to Smith and Revesz, and Great Britain Patent No. 929,846, Pillow cases, issued Apr. 19, 1962, to Dowie and Morrow. Pillow shams are often provided with ornate openings, borders, and edges using embellishments such as ruffles, lace, roping, cording, braiding, etc., to enhance the decorative appearance. They are also constructed using materials with elastic properties to help the sham conform closely to the pillow, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,346 and 4,480,347, Pillow Sham, to Hawkins, et al. Other designs include U.S. Pat. No. 880,524, Washable Covering for Pillows, Feather Beds, Quilts and the Like, issued Mar. 3, 1908, to E. Hauphoff, U.S. Pat. No. 1,269,276, Army and Navy Pillow Kit, issued Jun. 11, 1918, to R. Harris, U.S. Pat. No. 2,446,396, Cushion Cover, issued Aug. 3, 1948, to T. Waranch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,200, Pillow Case, issued Aug. 21, 1956 to H. Johnston, U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,517, Reversible Furniture Cover or Receptacle and Method for Making Same, issued Jul. 17, 1962, to D. O. Levi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,182, Pillow, issued Nov. 5, 1963 to G. J. Doak, U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,559, Blanket and Sheet, issued Sep. 23, 1975, to A. Bahr, U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,281, Apertured Article and Protective Cover Therefor, issued Nov. 19, 1974 to D. Mathews, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,531, Fitted Pillow Case, issued Aug. 17, 1976, to V. Van Pelt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,376, Invertible Comforter, issued Mar. 3, 1987, to G. Sulley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,590, Therapeutic Pillow Cover Having Compartments for Receiving Hot/Cold Packs and/or Pillow Insert Supports, issued Dec. 8, 1992, to D. O""Sullivan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,902, Quick Seal Pillow Cover Configuration and Method, issued Jul. 11, 1995, to D. Lewis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,410, Pillowcase Construction, issued Oct. 22, 1996, to A. L. Schaechter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,753, Pillow Case Head Cover, issued Nov. 12, 1996, to P. Ruscitto, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,904, Bed Pillow, issued Feb. 2, 1999, to M. Rudick.
Conventional pillow shams are usually coordinated with other bedding textiles and offered for sale throughout department stores and catalogs. Some typical pillow sham designs are displayed on pages 1321 and 1322 of the JCPenney springandsummer xe2x80x9899 catalog and on pages 15, 20, 23, 33, 34, 36, 38, 43, and 44 of the Horchow Home Late Summer 1999 catalog. However, none of the patents or designs referenced above show the configuration of the present invention, and all of the pillow shams previously known suffer from disadvantages or previously unrecognized problems, as follows:
(a) A person commonly purchases several pillow shams of identical size and fabric design or pattern to design a conventional pillow sham display. The display occupies the space from side to side near the head of a bed. The person typically stores the empty shams on the floor of the bedroom during a sleep cycle. She fetches each sham from storage after a sleep cycle. She places each sham over a bed pillow. Then she positions it horizontal or contiguous with other shams on the bed. She repeats these steps until the display is complete. Each sham is removed and stored again to make the bed and bed pillows available for the next sleep cycle. This presents a problem because each sham covers only one individual pillow. Multiple repetitive motions must be used to prepare and remove each sham in the display. In one year, the user turns, bends, retrieves, applies, and removes each pillow sham hundreds of times. Handling individual shams also wastes time and adds to the pressures and hectic schedules that typically face today""s households.
(b) There is another method a person commonly uses to assemble a conventional pillow sham display. This method somewhat addresses the problems described above. In this instance the person uses several identical pillow shams to store extra bed pillows that are not removed from the shams for sleep cycle use. Maintaining extra pillows inside the shams eliminates the steps of applying and removing the shams from each pillow. However, the pillow-filled shams still must be individually stored and then individually fetched after a sleep cycle. They still must be aligned individually upon the bed to assemble the pillow sham display. In one year, a person will turn, bend, fetch, and align individual pillow-filled shams hundreds of times. Therefore, the problems remain that the described sham covers only one pillow and repetitive motions are still used to assemble the pillow sham display.
(c) The display is also commonly used to cover up rumpled or tousled bed pillows or top sheet borders. These items typically remain visible near the head of a bed beyond the top edge of a comforter. The user props or places shams containing extra pillows in front of the rumpled bed pillows or top sheet borders. However, another problem develops. A gap or space forms between the placement of one sham to another in the pillow sham display. The gap allows underlying surfaces to show through. This means the rumpled bedding or bed pillows may be visible at each gap. As a result, the person typically adjusts the position of each pillow sham several times this way and that way in an attempt to reduce the view at each gap. She also typically adds other decorative pillows to the display to help camouflage the view at each gap. This practice costs money and also takes up more time and energy.
(d) Still another problem develops when the described sham is positioned in a pillow sham display. The pillow sham typically slouches and shifts, and it jostles other shams. As a result, a person typically repositions each sham several times to achieve the desired display. These steps take up yet more time and energy.
(e) A disadvantage of the described pillow sham is that its manufacturing process requires extra labor and produces waste or scrap. Initially, labor is used to construct the sham in an inside out configuration to secure together raw seam edges. Labor is used to trim the seam edges which reduces bulk and produces waste. Labor is used to treat the seam edges with techniques such as serging to reduce seam edge raveling. Finally, labor is used to turn the sham right side out.
(f) Each of the described pillow shams is individually packaged for shipment. This method is wasteful and inefficient because several pillow shams of identical size and fabric design are typically purchased for use in the same pillow sham display.
In accordance with the present invention, a unitary pillow sham comprising an elongated length of fabric secured to define a plurality of contiguous horizontal pillow-accepting pockets and further to define vertical side flanges.
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of conventional pillow shams described in my above patent, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide a pillow sham that will retain the desirable features of conventional pillow shams and will provide superior function, new and improved ease of use, and save time;
(b) to provide a pillow sham that will eliminate repetitive motions common to the method of assembling a conventional pillow sham display and which are detrimental to the user;
(c) to provide a pillow sham that will eliminate the view of underlying surfaces such as rumpled bedding that is visible at the gap that exists between each contiguous horizontal placement of one sham to another within a conventional pillow sham display;
(d) to provide a pillow sham that will eliminate slouching, shifting, and jostling motions that typically result when a pillow sham is placed contiguous to other shams in a conventional pillow sham display;
(e) to provide a pillow sham whose production will reduce labor and eliminate waste;
(f) to provide a pillow sham whose production will reduce and eliminate inside out construction;
(g) to provide a pillow sham whose production will reduce and eliminate the quantity of raw seams and raw seam edges;
(h) to provide a pillow sham whose production will reduce and eliminate techniques such as seam trimming and serging typically used to reduce seam edge raveling;
(i) to provide a pillow sham whose shipment will reduce waste in the packaging process.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.